The number of diagnosed cases of diabetes continues to increase in the U.S. and throughout the world, creating enormous economic and public health consequences. Devices and therapies that improve the quality of life for the diabetic patient thus are important not only for the patient, but for society at large. One area in which recently developed technologies have been able to improve the standard of care has been in the maintenance of tight control over the blood glucose levels. It is well known that if a diabetic patient's blood glucose values can be maintained in a relatively narrow and normal range of from about 80 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) to about 120 mg/dL, the physiologically damaging consequences of unchecked diabetes can be minimized. With better blood glucose information, diabetic patients can better exercise tight control of their blood glucose level through a variety of means, including diet, exercise, and medication. For this reason a large industry has developed to provide the diabetic population with ever more convenient and accurate ways to measure blood glucose. There are many forms of these measuring devices; one common type is represented by hand-held electronic meters which receive blood samples via enzyme-based “test strips”. In using these systems, the patient lances a finger or alternate body site to obtain a blood sample, the strip is inserted into a test strip opening in the meter housing, the sample is applied to the test strip and the electronics in the meter convert a current generated by the enzymatic reaction in the test strip to a blood glucose value. The result is displayed on the (typically) liquid crystal display of the meter. Usually, this display must be large so that diabetics who often have deteriorating vision, can more easily see the result.
It is known that such hand-held meters can advantageously be manufactured to include wireless communication capability. Such capability can assist the user in downloading data to a home computer or to a handheld computing device, for example. This minimizes the need for the user to write down data and transfer it later to an electronic record.
It is also known that hand-held meters are often given to users, so that suppliers of the strips used with the meters can generate greater strip sales. This makes the cost of the hand-held meters critical to profitability of the manufacturers. If the cost of a meter is relatively high, profits from the sale of strips will be small or worse yet, non-existent. If the cost of the meter can be reduced, profitability is improved.
Lastly, it is well known that if a strip and meter system is convenient to use, patients will test more often and compliance with treatment programs will improve. Including wireless communication in the meter adds convenience, but at a cost. For these reasons, there is a continuing need for a low cost meter and strip glucose monitoring system that nevertheless has highly convenient features, including wireless communication capabilities.